J.W. Kornegay, 91, of Bryan passed away Tuesday, April 24, 2018. A visitation will be held on Friday, April 27, 2018 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at First Baptist Church in Bryan. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 28, 2018 at 10:00am at First Baptist Church in Bryan, with burial to follow at Rest-Ever Memorial Park in Bryan.
J. W. Kornegay was born in Breckenridge, Texas and grew up in a rural community in Eastland County, Texas. He graduated from Rising Star High School in Rising Star, Texas and served in the 754th Tank Battalion in Korea as a tank mechanic. He was honorably discharged as a Sergeant T/4.
Following his time served with the military, J. W. attended pharmacy school at the University of Texas. After two years of study, he felt God’s call on his life to become a Minister of Education. Being obedient to that call, he enrolled in Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas and received a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Religious Education. A Master of Religious Education degree soon followed from Southwestern Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas. J. also received an honorary doctorate from California Graduate School of Theology in Glendale, California.
J. served three churches during his lifetime of ministry, beginning with Richland Hills Baptist Church in Richland Hills, Texas (three years); Brookside Baptist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma (six years); and First Baptist Church of Bryan (twenty-eight years). J. also worked with the Baptist General Convention of Texas as a consultant in Church Growth and Leadership Development.
During his time at First Baptist Bryan, J. helped develop the Discovery program, which reaches out to the wives of international students at TAMU. This program teaches English through study of the Bible, and focuses on developing friendships.
During his retirement, J. became a part of the staff of the Texas Baptist Children’s Home, serving as Area Representative. He joyfully worked in development for Miracle Farm in Brenham, Texas for fourteen years. He had a great part in raising several million dollars in endowment for this arm of the TBCH.
J. was preceded in death by his parents, Roby and Hamp Kornegay, of Rising Star, Texas. He is survived by his beautiful wife of seventy years, Mary Anne Jones Kornegay, his younger sister, Dorothy Maxwell, and his younger brother, Bill Kornegay and wife Carol. He is survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
J. and Mary Anne were blessed with two sons: Leslie Gene Kornegay and Allen Dean Kornegay. J. W. leaves to cherish his memory two daughters-in-law, Donna K. Kornegay of Bryan, Texas and Georgia B. Kornegay of Rowlett, Texas. His beloved grandchildren include Jacob Kornegay, Meredith Kornegay Neie and spouse Marc, Geoffrey Kornegay and spouse Katy, Nathaniel Kornegay and spouse Yuka, Jonathan Kornegay, and Matthew Kornegay. J. was blessed with four great-grandchildren.
The family requests that memorials be given to Miracle Farm, a division of Texas Baptist Children’s Home/Children at Heart Ministries. You may donate at miraclefarm.org. Donations may also be made to the Business Men’s Bible Class/care of First Baptist Church, Bryan at fbcbryan.org.
Our prayers are with the family. Tommy and Ginger Lanehart
Thoughts and prayers are with you and the family……JoAnn Locke
Our thoughts and prayers are you with during this time. He will be missed.
My thoughts and prayers for the family.
Melva Garcia Mireles
Mary Ann, Dean, Gene and family,
I heard of J’s passing too late to attend funeral. I grieve with your family, but also celebrate with J as He enjoys his eternal home. I will always be so grateful for his friendship and partnership in ministry, and especially his dedication and investment in the lives of the boys at Miracle Farm. My prayer is for God’s sufficient grace and peace for the family. I look forward to renewing my relationship with J someday in Heaven!
Mary Ann – I just learned of J’s death from Alicia Lee. Somehow, I’m just not in the loop of things happening in and around Bryan-College Station. J’s counsel and advice to me when I was a sophomore or junior at A&M kept me on the path to becoming a family doctor. I’ll forever appreciate the time he invested in me when there were doubts about where the Lord was leading me. 70 years is just plain amazing! I told Mother & Daddy at their 50th I was glad they had each other because I would not have put up with either of them for that long. God bless you as you make the adjustment to living without him – for a while. Give my best to Dean & Gene and families.
Always all my love, Barry